Over the last four years VCU basketball fans have witnessed possibly the greatest defensive basketball player in the history of the NCAA: Briante Weber. From the beginning of his career with the VCU Rams, Weber was a force to be reckoned with. He averaged 2.1 steals per game as a freshman, which was an admirable statistic for a low-scouted point guard out of Chesapeake, Va. But what Briante possessed, that a lot of NCAA scouts apparently missed, was heart. The kid flat out loved to play basketball; and every moment Weber was on the court, he played with the same high-energy from the beginning of the game, until the final seconds.

Briante Weber is a special breed of basketball player. What he lacked in offense he made up for tenfold in defense. Needless to say, Weber’s offense was his defense. Two minutes of game film is all anyone needs to see this kid has the heart of a lion, and a true winning spirt. With three conference Defensive Player of the Year awards, it’s safe to say there will never be another Briante Weber at VCU and it’s very possible there may never be another player in the NCAA like Weber. His defensive dominance set him apart from anyone else on the court and he was the biggest difference-maker for a lightweight VCU team that joined the ranks of the NCAA elite in college basketball.

Weber became the poster boy for the VCU Rams as a junior when he led the country with 3.5 steals per game during the 2013-14 season. The biggest moments of Weber’s career occurred during his senior season with a steals-record almost guaranteed to have his name all over it, and a VCU Rams win streak record within grasp. It seemed like a fairy tale. Too good to be true for VCU fans who were preparing to witness history in the making. The Rams ranked 14 in the nation, and Briante Weber was only 14 steals away from an all-time steals record.

Nobody will ever forget the quietest moment in VCU Basketball game history.

The moment Briante Weber fell on the court and didn’t get up. You could hear a pen drop in the stadium because everything was quiet and all eyes were focused on the heart and soul of the VCU basketball team. We all knew that his season might be over, although many hoped that it wouldn’t be his last game. It would be Briante Weber’s last memory on the VCU court, due to a torn MCL/ACL/PCL injury that ended the senior’s season and any hope of breaking the all-time steals record.

That’s not the legacy Briante Weber would leave behind though. Every game after the injury, Weber was on the court with his teammates even on crutches. He continued to be the heart of a team that would never be the same without him. He kept his passion and dedication through his difficult time, and it inspired an entire college. Weber’s legacy went beyond basketball and beyond the court. He was the definition of HAVOC at VCU and there will never be another player like Briante. His skill on the court and dedication to the game off the court will be what people remember most about Weber. We believed an all-time NCAA steals record would make Briante Weber immortal, but we were wrong. His love for the game, his passion, and his hard work are what have made him immortal here at VCU. There will NEVER be another Briante Weber. Hoping the best for our fellow Ram as he prepares for the next step in a long and healthy career.